It looks like the official news are calming down, it can only mean one thing: We're back to datamining!

Epic crafted items in Cataclysm - Updated
The first batch of crafted epic items was released when the NDA was lifted, due to some technical issues it was ... difficult to get the new ones. This is now fixed and I should have a couple of interesting previews for you in the next few days. (or you can spoil my fun and lurk on the latest additions but not everything is listed there)

Alchemy
Apparently, Alchemists will finally get another epic stone in Cataclysm. That's also where you realize how useful Mastery Bonus is, the item is just great for everyone.

Engineering
All 3 types of ranged weapons are craftable and your epic helms ... are actually even more epic than we thought in the first place, they are socketable with Cogwheels and Hydraulic Pumps, engineer-only gems.

The BlizzCon 2010 Fan Art, Original Song, and Movie contests have begun! To enter, simply submit your original Warcraft, StarCraft, or Diablo-themed work before September 27. We have over $25,000 worth of prizes to give away between these and our Dance and Costume contests on Friday night at BlizzCon, and winning entries will be showcased live at this year's show.

Head over to the Fan Art, Original Song, and Movie contest pages to see the submission requirements, read the official rules, and check out the prizes. Information and online sign-ups for the BlizzCon 2010 Dance and Costume contests will be coming soon, so keep an eye on BlizzCon.com for details.

Blue Posts

Originally Posted by Blizzard Entertainment

Additional raids before Cataclysm
There are no plans for any additional raids before Cataclysm ships. With that said, there will be at least one major patch leading up to Cataclysm with a lot of core features and framework being added for the new expansion for players to explore. There will also be various limited-time events to set the tone for the release of Cataclysm. (Source)

Warlock (Forums / 3.3.5 Talent Calculator / Cataclysm Talent Calculator / Beta Skills/Talents)Making Soul Shards "exciting"
That is still the goal, but we don't think just hooking up a big +damage buff or spell is going to feel that way. It will just be done on cooldown without some kind of situational requirement for doing so. We haven't given up on the idea at all, but it's not a trivial one to resolve. (Source)

Concept Art
The Concept Art Gallery has been updated but if you're addicted to artworks, you probably saw a lot of them before.

this all looks like more easy to get welfare epics. Whatever happening to increasing the importance and rarity of epics, this was one of the things that made vanilla so fantastic, that feeling of accomplishment when getting an epic in vanilla was what captured the original fan base. sigh.

The amount of stats that are appearing on the items are getting out of hand, I think. 500 odd stamina? 300 odd strength? Some 400-ish agility?
I can't help but think that we'll be sitting on some 100k health or whatever as a tank.

Dude, your HEALERS will have over 100k health. Tanks will be pushing 200k.

this all looks like more easy to get welfare epics. Whatever happening to increasing the importance and rarity of epics, this was one of the things that made vanilla so fantastic, that feeling of accomplishment when getting an epic in vanilla was what captured the original fan base. sigh.

Apparently when they said they wanted to bring back the feeling of epics being epic, what they really meant was they wanted everybody to have them so everybody could be equally epic!

Hell, at least half my guild has engineering already it needs a nerf not love hehe

Seriously, engineers got so many awesome things and yet they whine and whine and whine that their profession is worthless. But we all know that isn't the case.
I'd even level it if it wasn't so freaking boring and annoying, because if there is one thing I hate it's to have 60 bag slots of mats just to gain 1 skill point.

"this all looks like more easy to get welfare epics. Whatever happening to increasing the importance and rarity of epics, this was one of the things that made vanilla so fantastic, that feeling of accomplishment when getting an epic in vanilla was what captured the original fan base. sigh."

SHUT UP, god you wannabe elitist whiners get annoying. Not one news page is without whining about casuals, give it up.

The times were you got carried and could stand on the bridge in IF all day are over. Deal with it.

I really hate all these simplified stats. I really liked it when the average chest piece has so many different stats, like stamina, strength, dodge, defense, parry, expertise, etc. Sometimes fewer, sometimes more. Now it's just stamina+strength+dodge, and if you're lucky it has hit or mastery too.

Ah, but don't forget about reforging. Sure, it's not huge, but if you want a whole bunch of different stats, you can mix some things around to get an extra one. The possibilities for customization is actually quite large.
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The new gems only give 67 agi each, that's still only 201 AGI total. About 140 more than using WoTLK's normal blue gems.

Engineers get TWO 132 of the same stat weight (like mastery and hit)

Seems like these are normal epic gems and not JC only gems

That's a good observation. Generally, Cata stats are 250% the size of WotLK stats. Blue gems which gave 16 stats in wotlk will have their equivalents give 40 stats (16x2.5 = 40) and so on. This goes across the board and makes sense also in that the starting epic iLevel used to be 200 in WotLK and seems to be 359 in Cata, an increase of roughly 160 iLevels is in the same ballpark of meaning "stats are about 2.5 times bigger".

In that logic, the new JC only epic gems "should" be 2.5 times 34 (=85) (the stats of the Dragon's Eye gems), but they turn out to be only 67. We can expect the "normal" epic gems to be 2.5x20 = 50, so the total JC bonus in Cata seems to end up, for 3 Chimera Eye JC only gems:

3 x (67 - 50) = 51

Which is only marginally smaller than the current 42. Certainly not the expected 2.5 x 42 = 105 that we would have expected if JC bonus grew proportinally to alkl other stats.s

So you're only happy with your epics if nobody else has them? Selfishness just reached a new level.

A little, but half the reason that an epic was Epic was that less people had them. If they're just as common as greens then that's just not Epic.

After WotLK I don't think blizzard can ever go back to that model but we may just have to accept that. Epics will be Epic for the first tier but once the second tier of raiding comes out that'll be over.

A little, but half the reason that an epic was Epic was that less people had them. If they're just as common as greens then that's just not Epic.

After WotLK I don't think blizzard can ever go back to that model but we may just have to accept that. Epics will be Epic for the first tier but once the second tier of raiding comes out that'll be over.

What do I care about the stupid TEXT COLOR of my Equipment?
How It looks on my Draenei is way WAAAY more important to me. ^-^

What do I care about the stupid TEXT COLOR of my Equipment?
How It looks on my Draenei is way WAAAY more important to me. ^-^

It's never been about the text color of an item but how rare it is or how difficult it is to get. This isn't the same for everyone but personally an item feels far less Epic to me if it was easy to get or if everyone can get it. I've no problem with people looking cool in WoW but if there's no exclusively-awesome items to aim for I get bored with content quicker.

It's never been about the text color of an item but how rare it is or how difficult it is to get. This isn't the same for everyone but personally an item feels far less Epic to me if it was easy to get or if everyone can get it. I've no problem with people looking cool in WoW but if there's no exclusively-awesome items to aim for I get bored with content quicker.

I think the color and/or looks of an item were the two easy ways to tell if someone was epic.

If all the gear is the same text color, and it all looks roughly the same, then no one can really tell he was an epic raider or not. It's just the 10-20 item level difference and heroic tag on loot that shows it; neither of which seems to have hit home with many people.

It's mostly nostalgia, really, but it'd be cool to see it back, since it really shouldn't take much to change color text. (I know, the color actually affects stats, but it can't be that hard to unlink them, or just create new colors that look the same as the previous, with equal modifiers, but with both blue and purple text.)